122 — 118
Orlando built the margin before Memphis ever settled
The Magic set the tone almost immediately. Wendell Carter Jr. opened the scoring with a three, added a short jumper and a dunk, and Orlando stretched the game to 18-6 with 7:28 left in the first quarter when Goga Bitadze finished at the rim. Desmond Bane then knocked down back-to-back threes, and Tristan da Silva added two more from deep late in the quarter as Orlando carried a 36-26 lead into the second.
Memphis spent the first half chasing that burst. Ty Jerome kept the Grizzlies close with a series of floaters and finished with 17 points, while Cameron Boozer supplied 16 points and six rebounds. But every time Memphis edged within striking distance, Orlando found another perimeter answer. Nikola Vucevic opened the second quarter with consecutive threes to push the lead to 42-27, and the Magic still had enough offence to absorb a late Grizzlies run that cut the halftime margin to 64-61 on GG Jackson’s three with 2.8 seconds left.
The third quarter became a test of answers
Memphis finally grabbed hold of the scoreboard after the break, if only briefly. Quinten Post’s layup made it 64-63, Cedric Coward’s three put the Grizzlies ahead 66-65, and another Coward three at 10:15 nudged Memphis in front again at 69-68. It was the clearest sign that Orlando’s fast start would not be enough on its own.
What followed was the most important stretch of the night. Jamal Cain hit from deep, da Silva answered with a three and a jumper, and Carter Jr. knocked down another long ball at 8:00. Cain added a second third-quarter three, da Silva connected again from beyond the arc, and Carter Jr. buried one more to cap a surge that turned a one-point deficit into an 87-76 Orlando lead with 5:36 left in the period. Memphis trimmed that to 94-87 by quarter’s end, but the Magic had restored control.
Da Silva finished with 19 points and four threes, while Cain added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Orlando’s offence was not just about isolated scoring bursts, either. The Magic recorded 35 assists on 41 field goals, with Franz Wagner handing out seven, Jevon Carter six, Paolo Banchero five and JD Davison five more in 10 minutes. That kind of distribution kept the lead alive even as no Orlando player crossed the 20-point mark.
Our take: Orlando’s edge was real, but so was the warning in the finish
The fourth quarter showed both sides of Orlando’s night. Memphis kept climbing, first through Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Kris Murray, then through Taylor Hendricks, Javon Small and Walter Clayton Jr. Prosper’s three cut the margin to 98-96 at 9:20, Hendricks’ dunk made it 112-110 with 3:33 left, and his three at 2:36 brought Memphis within 114-113. Orlando answered each push just in time: Jevon Carter hit a three, Cain followed with another, Colin Castleton scored twice inside, Alex Morales added a late basket, and Kevin Knox II made two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining after Clayton had cut it to one possession.
The numbers explain why the Magic survived. Orlando made 20 threes to Memphis’s 17, won the glass 52-40 and collected 15 offensive rebounds. That extra volume mattered because the Grizzlies actually attempted more shots overall, 96 to 87, and protected the ball better with only eight total turnovers to Orlando’s 14. Memphis also scored 48 points in the paint, so this was not a one-sided statistical profile. It was a narrow game in which Orlando’s shooting and second chances outweighed its sloppier finish.
There is a fair caution for the winner here. A team that led by 18 and spent almost the entire night in front should not need final-possession composure to escape. At the same time, Memphis has a useful takeaway of its own. The Grizzlies kept producing offence through Jerome, Boozer, Jackson, Hendricks and Clayton, but the defensive rebounding gap kept extending Orlando possessions. In a four-point game, that is not a footnote. It is the difference.
Scoring moments
- 1st Quarter · 11:47
Wendell Carter Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Franz Wagner assists)
- 1st Quarter · 11:16
Wendell Carter Jr. makes 8-foot two point shot (Franz Wagner assists)
- 1st Quarter · 11:01
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 10:44
Franz Wagner makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 10:44
Franz Wagner makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 9:46
Ty Jerome makes 26-foot three pointer
- 1st Quarter · 9:31
Wendell Carter Jr. makes 1-foot dunk (Paolo Banchero assists)
- 1st Quarter · 8:59
Cedric Coward makes tip in dunk
- 1st Quarter · 8:51
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 8:47
Desmond Bane makes 25-foot three point jumper (Paolo Banchero assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:52
Desmond Bane makes 25-foot three point jumper (Paolo Banchero assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:28
Goga Bitadze makes dunk (Franz Wagner assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:16
Ty Jerome makes 12-foot driving floating jump shot (Zach Edey assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:56
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 6:46
Cameron Boozer makes driving layup (Cam Spencer assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:09
Cameron Boozer makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cam Spencer assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:26
Jase Richardson makes 24-foot three point jumper (Desmond Bane assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:14
Paolo Banchero makes two point shot (Franz Wagner assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:02
Cam Spencer makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 5:02
Cam Spencer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 4:46
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 4:20
Tristan da Silva makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jevon Carter assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:53
Goga Bitadze makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 3:26
Jamal Cain makes dunk (Jevon Carter assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:08
GG Jackson makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 3:08
GG Jackson makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:55
Scotty Pippen Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:46
Jevon Carter makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:46
Jevon Carter makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 1:49
Tristan da Silva makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jevon Carter assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:30
GG Jackson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Quinten Post assists)
- 1st Quarter · 55.3
Quinten Post makes two point shot (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)
- 1st Quarter · 55.3
Quinten Post makes free throw 1 of 1
- 1st Quarter · 0.4
Ty Jerome makes 13-foot driving floating jump shot
- 2nd Quarter · 11:46
Jaylen Wells makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 11:30
Nikola Vucevic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Franz Wagner assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 11:05
Nikola Vucevic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Franz Wagner assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 10:30
Zach Edey makes 6-foot two point shot
- 2nd Quarter · 10:08
Ty Jerome makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot
- 2nd Quarter · 9:40
Alex Morales makes two point shot
- 2nd Quarter · 9:12
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 9:12
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 9:00
Franz Wagner makes 11-foot pullup jump shot
- 2nd Quarter · 8:38
Ty Jerome makes 13-foot driving floating jump shot
- 2nd Quarter · 7:03
Ty Jerome makes 12-foot driving floating jump shot (Cameron Boozer assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 6:39
Paolo Banchero makes layup (Franz Wagner assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 6:29
Jaylen Wells makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot (Cedric Coward assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 6:03
Desmond Bane makes 25-foot three point jumper (Paolo Banchero assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:47
Cameron Boozer makes driving layup (Cedric Coward assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:47
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Quarter · 5:29
Jerami Grant makes 26-foot running jump shot (Cameron Boozer assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:17
Franz Wagner makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot
- 2nd Quarter · 5:05
Cameron Boozer makes 26-foot three point jumper (Cam Spencer assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:48
Nikola Vucevic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Paolo Banchero assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:26
Cam Spencer makes 25-foot three pointer (Quinten Post assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:55
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 3:55
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 3:32
Jamal Cain makes running dunk (Jevon Carter assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:47
GG Jackson makes 25-foot three pointer (Ty Jerome assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:25
GG Jackson makes 10-foot two point shot (Ty Jerome assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:08
Tristan da Silva makes 2-foot dunk (Nikola Vucevic assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 43.1
Ty Jerome makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 43.1
Ty Jerome makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 33.4
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 33.4
Paolo Banchero makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 2.8
GG Jackson makes 26-foot three point jumper (Quinten Post assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 11:40
Quinten Post makes driving layup (Cedric Coward assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 11:25
Tristan da Silva makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 11:10
Cedric Coward makes 22-foot three point jumper (Quinten Post assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:28
Jamal Cain makes 25-foot three point jumper (Wendell Carter Jr. assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:15
Cedric Coward makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ty Jerome assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 9:59
Tristan da Silva makes 25-foot three point jumper (Wendell Carter Jr. assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 9:35
Tristan da Silva makes 12-foot two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 9:24
Ty Jerome makes 5-foot two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 8:18
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 8:18
Cameron Boozer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 8:00
Wendell Carter Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Tristan da Silva assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 7:43
Jaylen Wells makes 23-foot three point jumper (Ty Jerome assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:50
Jamal Cain makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jase Richardson assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:12
Tristan da Silva makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jamal Cain assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:59
Jamal Cain makes two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 5:36
Wendell Carter Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jevon Carter assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:11
Walter Clayton Jr. makes 4-foot two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 3:47
Walter Clayton Jr. makes two point shot (Jerami Grant assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:32
GG Jackson makes running dunk (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 2:35
Kevin Knox II makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jevon Carter assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 58.7
Taylor Hendricks makes layup (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 41.3
Malaki Branham makes driving layup (Jase Richardson assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 33.2
Taylor Hendricks makes 26-foot three point jumper (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 21.0
Tristan da Silva makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 21.0
Tristan da Silva makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 11:21
Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes 1-foot two point shot (Javon Small assists)
- 4th Quarter · 11:09
Goga Bitadze makes alley oop dunk (Jase Richardson assists)
- 4th Quarter · 10:32
Cam Spencer makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 10:32
Cam Spencer makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 10:16
Goga Bitadze makes 4-foot two point shot (Tristan da Silva assists)
- 4th Quarter · 10:05
Kris Murray makes 1-foot dunk (Cam Spencer assists)
- 4th Quarter · 9:20
Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes 23-foot three point jumper (Cam Spencer assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:50
Jevon Carter makes 25-foot three pointer (JD Davison assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:42
Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes driving layup (Javon Small assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:10
Jamal Cain makes 22-foot three point jumper (JD Davison assists)
- 4th Quarter · 7:29
Colin Castleton makes dunk (Alex Morales assists)
- 4th Quarter · 7:02
JD Davison makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 6:51
Kris Murray makes 22-foot three point jumper (Taylor Hendricks assists)
- 4th Quarter · 6:26
Taylor Hendricks makes running dunk
- 4th Quarter · 5:43
Malaki Branham makes 24-foot three point jumper (JD Davison assists)
- 4th Quarter · 5:30
Javon Small makes 25-foot three point jumper (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)
- 4th Quarter · 4:46
Kevin Knox II makes running layup (JD Davison assists)
- 4th Quarter · 4:32
Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes 3-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 3:33
Taylor Hendricks makes running dunk (Kris Murray assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:48
Kevin Knox II makes 2-foot pullup jump shot (JD Davison assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:36
Taylor Hendricks makes 24-foot three point jumper (Karim Lopez assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:14
Colin Castleton makes 3-foot floating jump shot (Alex Morales assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:08
Walter Clayton Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 13.9
Alex Morales makes two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 8.3
Walter Clayton Jr. makes 26-foot three point jumper (Olivier-Maxence Prosper assists)
- 4th Quarter · 6.5
Kevin Knox II makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 6.5
Kevin Knox II makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 4.7
Walter Clayton Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 0.8
Kevin Knox II makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 0.8
Kevin Knox II makes free throw 2 of 2
Orlando Magic — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero | 15 | 11 | 2-7 | 0-2 | 7-10 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +8 |
| Franz Wagner | 14 | 6 | 2-7 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +7 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | 15 | 13 | 5-7 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +17 |
| Desmond Bane | 13 | 9 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +11 |
| Jase Richardson | 23 | 3 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +11 |
| Kevin Knox II | 13 | 11 | 3-8 | 1-4 | 4-4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | -4 |
| Jamal Cain | 22 | 15 | 6-9 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +4 |
| Malaki Branham | 13 | 5 | 2-7 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | -4 |
| Tristan da Silva | 25 | 19 | 6-16 | 4-10 | 3-4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | -8 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 12 | 9 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -14 |
| Goga Bitadze | 13 | 7 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +3 |
| Colin Castleton | 8 | 4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -2 |
| Jevon Carter | 19 | 5 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -7 |
| JD Davison | 10 | 1 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 |
| Alex Morales | 24 | 4 | 2-5 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | -1 |
Memphis Grizzlies — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Coward | 22 | 8 | 3-9 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | -13 |
| Cameron Boozer | 22 | 16 | 4-7 | 2-3 | 6-7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | -13 |
| Jaylen Wells | 22 | 6 | 2-10 | 1-6 | 1-2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | -13 |
| Zach Edey | 10 | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -10 |
| Ty Jerome | 19 | 17 | 7-14 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 |
| Jerami Grant | 20 | 3 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +6 |
| Kris Murray | 10 | 5 | 2-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +3 |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 12 | 9 | 4-7 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +3 |
| Taylor Hendricks | 11 | 12 | 5-7 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +7 |
| GG Jackson | 14 | 15 | 5-13 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +6 |
| Karim Lopez | 6 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Quinten Post | 15 | 5 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 1-3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Carson Cooper | 5 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -2 |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | 14 | 1 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +6 |
| Cam Spencer | 16 | 7 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 4-4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -6 |
| Javon Small | 8 | 3 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +3 |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | 13 | 9 | 3-8 | 1-3 | 2-4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +4 |
Orlando Magic — Team statistics
| FG | 41-87 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 47 |
| 3PT | 20-45 |
| Three Point % | 44 |
| FT | 20-28 |
| Free Throw % | 71 |
| Rebounds | 52 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 15 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 37 |
| Assists | 35 |
| Steals | 6 |
| Blocks | 4 |
| Turnovers | 14 |
| Team Turnovers | 0 |
| Total Turnovers | 14 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 8 |
| Fast Break Points | 8 |
| Points in Paint | 40 |
| Fouls | 26 |
| Largest Lead | 18 |
| Lead Changes | 4 |
| Percent Led | 95 |
Memphis Grizzlies — Team statistics
| FG | 41-96 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 43 |
| 3PT | 17-45 |
| Three Point % | 38 |
| FT | 19-28 |
| Free Throw % | 68 |
| Rebounds | 40 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 13 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 27 |
| Assists | 31 |
| Steals | 7 |
| Blocks | 4 |
| Turnovers | 7 |
| Team Turnovers | 1 |
| Total Turnovers | 8 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 10 |
| Fast Break Points | 12 |
| Points in Paint | 48 |
| Fouls | 21 |
| Largest Lead | 1 |
| Lead Changes | 4 |
| Percent Led | 2 |